The Endërland Chronicles: Book of Daniel: The Endërland Chronicles, #1

By Ed Marishta

Daniel and Sam live worlds apart, but share more than the same birthday. Sam can never sleep, while Daniel has never had a dream. On the eve of his 18th birthday that will all change. In his first dream he visits a strange world called Endërland, inhabited by people, mermaids and wingmen and where evil is seemingly absent. His arrival there however sets in motion a chain of events that threaten to destroy this new world, unless Daniel manages to succeed with the quest he now has to embark on with the help of a merboy, a wingman, a beautiful girl and her twin brother.
Sam's own journey will lead her in a similar direction and adventures, while she sets to find the truth behind her unusual insomnia.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ed Marishta
• Release date: Jan 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310480959

Ed Marishta

Ed Marishta was born and raised in the small town of Gramsh, in Albania. He grew up with a very active imagination, which he would usually put to work creating stories and sharing them with others. As early as 10 years old, Ed tried to write his first piece, a fantasy story about a little boy with psychic powers, which he titled "The Adventures of Ren". Sadly, that manuscript was lost and he never got to finish it, or any other work until many years later, when he picked up working again on several different projects. He would say he does not consider himself a writer and will probably never make this his profession, but he loves telling stories. 'The Endërland Chronicles' is the first finished work he publishes, mostly for his own pleasure and as fulfilment of a promise made. He is currently working on a new project, different from "The Endërland Chronicles", and hopes he'll be able to finish and publish it soon. Stay tuned for more news.

Book preview

The

ENDËRLAND

Chronicles

Volume I

‘BOOK OF DANIEL’

Ed Marishta

London 2015

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

The Endërland Chronicles: Book of Daniel – 2nd edition.

Copyright © 2015 Ed Marishta

Smashwords ISBN 9781310480959

CONTENTS

AUTHOR’S NOTE

THE REAL WORLD

I HAVE A DREAM

MY QUEEN

INTRODUCTIONS & REUNIONS

INTRODUCTIONS & REUNIONS - PART 2

BEHOLD

THE COUNCIL

A QUEST FOR FIVE

LIGHTNING & THUNDER

FALLING…

ON THE RUN

DARD’H

REVELATIONS & RESOLUTIONS

IN THE VALLEY OF DESTINY

BATTLE

WIND OF CHANGE

A NEW WORLD

BOOK 2 PREVIEW

To my parents!

I owe you guys so much more than my respect and gratitude. You laid the foundations and started the work for me to become the man I am today, and I would not be here without your affection and support.

I love you!

Author’s Note

The drawing of a lone wolf (or a horse, I can’t remember now) staring at the moon, was the origin of the tale in these pages. It was intended as a gift to someone who was obsessed with the moon and its beauty. I challenged it and offered to do one better, to create a whole story about it, though I never dreamed - pun intended - it would turn into a book, much less be published.

I’ve never thought of myself as a writer, and once you’ve read the first few pages of Book of Daniel, you might be inclined to agree with me. Yet, as this work born of love and dreams grew bigger and took the shape and volume it has now achieved, I decided to put it out there and share it with others who enjoy a bit of fantasy.

I would not have reached at this point, however, without the help and support of a few people close to me, who have constantly supported and encouraged me to finish this project, believing in me, even when my own lack of faith held me back. Thank you, guys; you know who you are.

Special thanks go to Erika Giselle Santiago for the amazing cover, which I’m very proud of. You are absolutely brilliant, Erika. Looking forward to collaborating with you on future projects.

I am also immeasurably grateful to my family and closest friends for being a constant source of love and joy in my life.

Above all, I thank God for inspiring and leading me to develop and complete this story, taking it to the point where it is now ready for you dear reader to enjoy.

Thank you for picking up your copy, and welcome to Endërland.

The Real World

"All that we see or seem,

is but a dream within a dream."

Edgar Allan Poe

September 15th was only hours away. The dawn of the new day would find Daniel officially eighteen, not that he actually cared much about it. He was at that age now when he felt too old to get excited about his birthday, and at the same time too young to dread its coming. This wasn’t about him getting a year older; after all, he still had plenty of time to worry about anything like that. No, the fact of the matter was that he just wasn’t overly fond of the big day and all that it entailed.

It had been like this for a good while now. He could hardly remember the last time he’d felt excited about his birthday, even though his dad would always find a way to make that day extra special. He had great memories of them all; some of them even stood out. His 10th birthday came to mind; his dad had taken him to Disneyland that year, and had practically gotten all the characters there to sing him Happy Birthday and pose with him for pictures and pecks on the cheek.

Daniel had never been too fond of pecks on the cheek, whether it was from people or furry animals, be they fake or real. This might have had something to do with his dad’s best friend and partner, or as he knew him, Uncle Timmy. Whenever he came around, and that was quite often, Uncle Timmy would lean over, pretending to wanna kiss little Daniel on the cheek, but would, at the very last moment, opt for a little bite instead. That always made Daniel angry, especially since he always fell for it, while his father laughed out loud every time it happened. Eventually, Daniel learned to keep away from the nibbling policeman, but could never go far enough. His dad and Timmy had grown up together and were closer than brothers, hence the nickname uncle.

The policeman, however, did redeem himself eventually; it was he who was responsible for Daniel’s best birthday ever. He’d paid for both father and son to have a holiday trip for Daniel's 17th birthday. They’d spent an entire week last summer sunbathing and scuba diving in a beautiful coral reef in Corfu, Greece. With a little help from the people at the resort, his dad had practically recruited all the fish in the reef to play a part in wishing Daniel a very under-watery happy birthday. He had actually been impressed.

It was then that Daniel had really fallen in love with the sea. Swimming and diving had become his new favourite pastime. They would go seaside together as often as they could with his dad, but David never felt comfortable letting him go alone. He felt very protective of his only boy, even though he wasn’t little anymore. So, Daniel had to be satisfied with a swimming pool the rest of the time. He didn’t mind though, he loved swimming and was rather good at it. There was a sense of freedom he felt in the water, and even in a limited space such as a pool, he always felt he could swim forever and go far.

And yet, no matter how great a time they always had, Daniel would never feel entirely happy on his birthday. He loved his dad and appreciated everything he did for him, but try as he might, Daniel could not help but feel a little sad on his special day. He’d learned to hide this from David and had gotten better at pretending as the years went by, but deep inside he’d come to wish that they’d completely forget about the whole thing and pretend it was just another day. This way maybe he would also forget about the first ever birthday he could remember.

He had just turned five the morning his father had walked into his room, sat down on the floor with him and held him tight for a very long time. Daniel could still remember his dad’s hot tears running down his spine, soaking the little t-shirt wet, and his sobs while telling him that mommy would not be there for his birthday that day. He remembered asking where she was and why she had left all day long, but he had never seen her again. David had made sure he’d still had the party and the cake, the friends, and the presents, but nothing had felt right. His mommy wasn’t there, and his daddy had been so sad.

That memory haunted Daniel every year. Here he was, about to be eighteen, and he knew there would be presents, cake, and whatever else his dad had planned for the event, as he always did. But he also knew that his mother would not be there, and that despite all appearances, deep inside, his dad would be sad. And that made him sad too. He couldn’t help it; this was how it had always been.

The noises from the laptop sitting on his bed shook Daniel free of his thoughts. He wasn’t even paying attention to the movie that had been playing for almost an hour. He reached over and closed the lid, putting the computer away for the night. He didn’t feel like watching anything anymore.

As he was about to switch off the light, he heard the familiar knock of his father on the door.

‘Come in, dad.’

The door opened and David’s dark wavy hair showed up first. They both had the same type of hair, healthy looking, dark, and thick, only his dad’s had already begun to lose its shine and turn a lighter shade. David’s smiling face followed, but the rest of his body remained hidden behind the door.

‘Hey, Danny. You busy?’

‘Dad, what are you up to?’ Daniel could not help but smile; he knew his father all too well.

David’s deep brown eyes grew even wider and brighter as he pushed the door open to reveal a small cake with a bunch of lit candles on one hand. In the other, he held a wrapped-up box with a few colourful ribbons tied around it. Walking towards his son, David began to sing the ever-dreaded ‘Happy Birthday’ song.

Daniel hated that song with a passion and wished someone would come up with a better alternative already, one that would actually stick. Still, he smiled and sat upright on his bed, making room for his father.

As the torturing notes finally stopped, the candles were flickering right under his nose. He breathed deeply and then attacked the little flames with all his might. All the candles went out, all but one. David blew lightly and it went out too.

‘Will you never get them all at once?’ he laughed.

‘Never,’ Daniel replied, a fake stubborn look on his young face. ‘Umm, dad, you do know it’s still the 14th, right?’

‘Of course, son. It’s just that, Timmy asked me to fill in for him tomorrow, which means I’m gonna be gone for most of it. So, I thought we’d start celebrating early and continue tomorrow evening, after I’m back. What do you say?’

This would be the first time his dad didn’t organize something special for his birthday, unless, of course, this was a ruse and David had some sort of a surprise thing planned. Daniel was hoping for the former, though. He wasn’t a kid anymore, and it would be a relief if there wasn’t much fuss over it this year. It didn’t occur to him that perhaps his dad might have finally realized how he felt about the whole thing.

‘Sounds great, dad. Thanks.’

‘Oh, well don’t thank me just yet; you might not even like it,’ replied David, putting the cake down on the bedside chair and passing the present to his son.

‘I see you’ve had the people at the store wrap it up for you.’

‘Well, you know me and presents,’ he said. ‘Good ideas, bad presentation.’

Daniel laughed.

The box felt kind of heavy for its size. He opened it with anticipation; despite everything, opening presents was always exciting.

The wrappings came off quickly and revealed an item that Daniel recognized right away. It was a portable air tank, small enough to contain only about 10 minutes of air under water, but very convenient and light compared to the bulky ones they needed to use whenever they went deep. Daniel jumped up from the bed, feeling like a little kid again.

‘Wow, dad, you’re amazing. How do you always know what to get me? Thanks, dad; I love it, really. Wow...’

‘You love it? Really? Oh, I’m so glad; I wasn’t sure...’

‘What? Are you kidding me? When have you ever gone wrong with this stuff?’

‘Oh, lots of times, trust me. Your mom would have such stories to tell if she...’

David stopped talking there and the smile on his face lost a bit of its shine. Daniel noticed but didn’t let on. He hurried to speak, not wanting to ruin the moment.

‘I love it, dad, thanks. Wow, I can’t wait to try it.’

‘Well, how about this weekend? I’m gonna be off since I’m working tomorrow. You don’t have any plans, do you?’

‘Me? No. I just need to ask Laura to cover for me at the library. She owes me one.’

‘It’s settled then; this weekend it is. Now, what about tomorrow night? What do you feel like doing?’

‘Anything, dad, I don’t mind.’

‘We can go out for dinner if you like. Or I can cook something here and we can sit down and watch Finding Nemo together.’

His smile turned into a big cheeky grin as he said this.

‘Dad, I’m not a kid anymore,’ Daniel complained.

‘I know, I know, I’m just kidding. We can watch anything you like.’ David now got up from the bed. ‘You used to love that movie though.’

Daniel beamed back at him.

‘Still do.’

They both burst into laughter again. This felt really good, almost liberating, and for those few moments Daniel actually forgot about everything else.

Still laughing, David turned to the cake.

‘Shall I cut you a slice now?’

‘I’m full, dad, thanks; I’ll have some tomorrow. You go ahead and have some if you want.’

‘No, I’ll wait for tomorrow as well. I’ll go put it back in the fridge.’

David lifted the cake from the chair and collected the wrapping paper from the floor. Daniel helped.

‘Ok, Danny. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.’

He leaned and gave Daniel a kiss on the cheek.

‘Love you, son. Sleep tight.’

‘Love you too, dad. Thanks for this.’

David winked at him and made for the door.

Daniel stood there, watching his father leave the room, and a sudden feeling of sadness washed over him. It just hit him then, that despite still standing tall and strong, his father appeared tired and older. He wasn’t the same man Daniel knew; age and life had marked their claim on him. Daniel’s eyes began to burn from the inside and his throat suddenly grew very tight. He felt his entire face flush uncomfortably.

As David was about to close the door behind him, he called nervously.

‘Dad?’

‘Yeah?’ came his father’s reply.

Daniel suddenly couldn’t continue; he felt stuck. His father pushed the door back open, waiting.

‘What is it, Danny?’

‘I..., I’m sorry!’ was all Daniel managed to say.

‘For what?’

Daniel didn’t know how to continue. He stood there, trying to get the right words out, but they weren’t making it easy. This was something he had meant to say for a while now, but didn’t quite know when, or how.

David now appeared concerned.

‘Danny, what’s wrong? What are you sorry for?’

‘I’m sorry that my birthday is on the same day as ..., you know...., Mom’s...’

He could not say it, but he didn’t have to; David understood all too well. He put the cake and the rubbish on the floor by the door and walked again towards his son. He took him in his embrace and held him tight. Daniel’s tears started flowing freely now.

‘That is not your fault, Danny, you know that. Not your fault.’

‘I know, dad,’ Daniel managed to say, pulling back from his dad’s embrace, and looking down.

‘I’m just…, sorry. I know you miss them a lot. And I know how difficult it’s been for you, trying to appear happy for my sake every year on her anniversary.’

‘Oh, Danny.’ David put his hands on his son’s face and with his thumbs wiped away the boy’s tears. ‘I have missed them, a lot. I still do. But they are gone, son, forever, and they’re not coming back. We, however, are still here; and we have each other to take care of. Don’t you think they would want us to live a full and happy life, instead of mourning them all the time? And I’m not trying to appear happy for your sake, son, I am happy, because you are still here with me. You give me a reason to get out of bed every morning. I would never choose their memory over you, Danny. You hear me? Never.’

He gave his son another kiss on the forehead and made for the door again.

‘Stop thinking about this and get some sleep, ok?’

‘Yes, Dad…’

David was almost out of the room for the second time, when Daniel called him again.

‘Dad?’

‘Yes, Danny?’ came the patient reply.

‘Do you still dream about them?’

There was a pause before David answered again. He had not expected this conversation today. He thought about lying, about not telling his son how he dreamt of his wife and eldest son every single night. How he woke up covered in cold sweat and tears in the dark hours, gushing from the pain of losing them and missing them terribly. But somehow, he knew he shouldn’t. Daniel wasn’t a kid anymore and he would not be able to protect him forever from certain things. So, he decided to be truthful.

‘All the time, son.’

‘What’s it like?’ came the next merciless question.

David appeared to be thinking about it, not without some struggle. His face took on a pensive look, accentuating the still fresh wrinkles, and making him look older than he actually was.

‘It’s like, being with them again, I guess; reliving the very best and happiest moments I’ve had with them, only, a thousand times stronger.’

He now looked at his son’s longing expression and understood what this was all about.

‘We’ve talked about this before, Danny; there are plenty of people out there who never dream, or who never remember their dreams. And nobody knows why that is. But I want you to remember what I’ve told you; count this as a blessing. Dreams aren’t always generous, son; they can also be cruel. You don’t know how many times I’ve lost them in my dreams, over and over again. And it always hurts just like the first time. Maybe this is for the best.’

Daniel sat back on his bed. He felt tired all of a sudden, like he’d just done too many laps in the pool.

‘Maybe you’re right. I just..., I just don’t remember them anymore, dad. Damien I could barely remember already, but now, even Mom’s face is fading.’

Now it was David’s turn to well up. Funny thing about being a parent; life teaches you to stand a lot of pain, to take it as it comes and become stronger, tougher. But it never teaches you how to accept the pain of the ones you love, especially your children. One more time David gulped his own emotions and remained strong in front of his son. Children should never see their parents weak.

‘I tell you what; I know what we can do tomorrow. We can go through our old family photos and videos; we can make this one their year. What do you say?’

His eyes suddenly ablaze, Daniel shook his head affirmatively; this might just be his best birthday yet. For once he wasn’t going to be the centre of attention for the day, and they could talk more about his mom and brother. He’d always refrained from asking his dad about them, knowing the pain those memories always caused him. But there was so much he knew his dad could tell him about them, and he wanted to know everything.

‘Agreed,’ he answered eagerly.

‘OK then,’ said David, clearly surprised at how much his son seemed to have wanted this. He almost broke down right then and there. ‘It’s settled, then; that is what we’ll do. Now, get some sleep, will you? Good night, son!’

‘Good night, dad!’

The door finally closed, and Daniel was alone again. He sat there for a moment, unable to focus his thoughts on anything in particular, until he finally decided to go to sleep. It was almost 11pm and he was supposed to work the next day at the library. He put his dad’s present on the floor under the bed, undid the covers, and switched off the light.

A vague image of his mother’s sweet face lingered in his mind, causing him to smile slightly. He heard what his father said about dreams, but he would still give anything to see her once again, to be with her; just like it was when he was little, and she was alive and healthy. Maybe tonight would be that night.

He had never understood why he could not dream. All his life he’d listen to other people talk about their dreams, and it was always strange to him. He didn’t know what they were, or how they worked; what they felt like. It made him feel weird and abnormal. So, he would make up dreams whenever the subject came up between friends. That way he wouldn’t stand out so much, or so he hoped.

He was unlike any of his friends in more ways than one, not that he had many of them to begin with. Most of the guys his age were all about girls, cars, sports and other things of the sort. He liked all that stuff well enough, and yet, somehow, he never really felt comfortable hanging out with them. But this wasn’t because he felt inferior or unwanted, no. He just never really cared about going out clubbing every week, booze drinking and girl chasing. Maybe he wasn’t ready to grow up just yet.

So, instead, he stuck to his swimming, and reading, and hanging out with his dad. Even working in the town’s public library wasn’t cool for guys his age. But he didn’t care; he’d come to recognize peer pressure for what it was, and it held no sway over him. Besides, the library gave him access to a world entirely different from his own, a world full of thousands of other worlds, all open and welcoming for him to explore them. And he did. What he could never visit in his dreams, he would read about, and then fantasize about.

It was while trying to understand the reason why he could not dream that he discovered this new universe of fantasy and adventure, a universe full of worlds he could enjoy being in the centre of, magical worlds where anything could happen. He grew up reading about gods and kings, treasures and dragons, elves and dwarves, and all sorts of other imaginary creatures that came to life whenever he picked up a book or watched a movie. Fantasy became a second life to him, where he could have any adventure he wanted, yet still be safe in the comfort of his own home. And the more he explored, the more he yearned for that magic.

But books and the sea were not all he was interested in; he also had a great love of the night sky and the stars. Whenever the weather was nice and the sky was clear, and that did not happen very often in good old London, he would stay up all night and study the heavens. He knew all the constellations by heart and all the stories that came with their names. He followed the news regarding new discoveries almost fanatically, and had read dozens of books and articles about the universe.

But it was the moon that fascinated him the most. He found it absolutely beautiful and enchanting, and could literally spend hours staring at it. As a little boy, he had vowed that he would one day go up there and dance on its surface, like Armstrong himself. But until then, he was happy to watch it from his bedroom window and dream about it with his eyes wide open.

He was once again adrift in his thoughts which soon began to lose all coherence and lucidity, thus helping him to slowly pass into the unconscious state of sleep. Outside, the hours raced, and the night continued to grow older. Any other night he would have slept like that until early morning, without interruption or anything at all happening. Tonight, however, was different. He was about to turn a point, and from here his life would never again be the same.

Dragging her feet down the long white marble staircase, Sam walked frustrated out of the Chicago police recruitment centre. She’d been waiting there for the last couple of hours; only to be told that she could not join the academy because of her age and health-related problems. She was furious. What problems? What I have is a blessing, a bonus, not a problem. How many police officers do they have on the force that can stay awake and be available for work 24/7?

‘It would seem like an advantage, but it’s not’, the recruitment agent had told her. ‘Putting your young age aside for a moment, we are not looking for robots to be on duty 24 hours a day, Miss Edison. We are looking for normal people, with normal lives and on good health. Being awake all the time does not really add to that, it takes from it. We appreciate your interest in joining the force, and I admit that I am quite impressed by some of your qualities that would have otherwise contributed to you being a fine police officer. However, the medical report is very clear, I’m afraid, and until your situation changes, we will not be able to consider you for a place in the academy.’

Sam felt so angry. She’d had such high hopes about this, and now it had all turned to ashes. So much for using her curse to help others. What else could she do? She had tried almost everything. She’d done the waitress, the maid, the receptionist, the librarian, and all sorts of other jobs she could find, but nothing had worked. She had been let go or quit from all of them at some point, and all because of her mood and bad temper. And now, she found herself clueless as to what next.

Waiting to get into the bus as it stopped in front of her, her cell phone began to ring. She took it out of her pocket and saw her mom’s face on the display. She ignored the phone, putting it back in her pocket, and proceeded to pay the bus fare. Grabbing a seat towards the end of the bus, she threw her gaze outside the window, while her phone continued to ring loudly. Her mom was the persistent type.

‘Are you gonna get that?’ an elderly woman sitting in front of her turned around and asked, clearly annoyed.

‘Back off, lady,’ Sam gave her an evil look, but pressed a button on her phone to silence it anyway. The woman made a disgusted face and returned to her former position.

When the vibration finally stopped, Sam took the phone out from her pocket and checked her voicemail. Her mom had apparently given up and left her a message.

‘Samantha, honey, it’s mommy calling to wish you a Happy Birthday. I was hoping you would come over and we could celebrate properly this year. Daddy misses you a lot. Where are you? Please call us. Love you!’

Sam switched the phone off and put it back in her pocket. She had not seen her parents for almost a year. She’d left home for a while now, and would only visit them a couple of times every year. But every time she did, she would go through the same ordeal. They would beg her to stay and let them help her with her insomnia, but she wouldn’t. They’d had their chance. She had been taken to more doctors and specialists than she could remember ever since she was five, and not one of them could do anything for her. They could not explain why she had lost the ability to sleep. She had tried countless therapies and treatments during the course of the years, but they would only make her feel worse.

Turning sixteen, she had decided that no one could help her, and she didn’t want to see another specialist ever again. So, she’d made up her mind that she was going to accept her condition and live life on her own terms. Of course, her parents weren’t ready to give up yet and they had not agreed with her decision, which had only led to them arguing and fighting. Sam had become very difficult to deal with, and the smallest thing would set her off and sent her on a rampage. So, for their sake, as much as her own, she had moved out and lived by herself ever since.

Being able to stay awake almost 24/7 proved of course to be a bigger problem than a blessing, despite what she kept telling herself. She tried to finish High School, but even though her grades were good, the restlessness within drove her to drop out near the end of Junior Year. What followed was a series of low paid jobs here and there that never lasted longer than a couple of months. Sam was always jumpy and easily irritated. In most cases, a row with a co-worker or a customer was the cause for her getting fired. Either that, or she would simply walk out, lacking the patience to deal with anything or anyone.

Realizing she had an attitude problem, she tried to do something about it. She tried meditation, yoga, and similar techniques. Nothing worked. At some point, someone suggested to her that she had a lot of anger inside and needed to let it out. It was then that she took up a martial arts class, where she got to punch and kick all she wanted. This appeared to calm her down a fair amount, and she got pretty good at fighting too; so, she kept that going, learning many different techniques in the process.

Money had thankfully never been an issue. Besides whatever she managed to make from working, she had access to a modest amount of money she had inherited from her late grandmother. She had been close to her Nan, and losing her when she was only fourteen had been very difficult for Sam. She used to spend a lot of time at her house, which had been just next door to theirs.

Nan had always been on her side when it came to finding a cure about her insomnia. She would always say to her: "There’s a reason for everything, my darling, including your insomnia, and one day you will find out what that is. That’s when you will get your cure."

Of course, her parents could not understand, nor accept that. They had kept the fight going. Nan had tried to comfort Sam any way she could. She would even stay awake at nights to be with her, and sleep during the days instead. Sam had loved her for that.

During the last few months of her life, Nan, as if knowing that her time was coming, had tried to prepare Sam for life on her own. She was the one who had suggested that leaving home and travelling around a lot, would probably help her cope better. She had been right, as Sam later found out.

The last thing Sam remembered about her Nan was a promise she had made, telling her that she would always be looking after her, even from beyond, when she was gone. Sam did not believe in the afterlife, but that promise had touched her. She remembered lying with her head on her Nan’s lap and playing with her favourite ring.

‘Don’t say stuff like that, Nan. You will live for a long time.’

‘It may be so, my darling, it may be so. But I still want you to know that just because you won’t see me, it does not mean I am really gone. I will still be looking after you. And so that you don’t forget that, I promise that this ring will be yours, when I no longer need it.’

Sam had rejoiced at the thought of owning that beautiful emerald ring, with an octagon cut shape and silver setting. It would look so perfect on her middle finger. It had been her Nan’s engagement ring, though her Nan had never actually been married.

Sam didn’t know much about her grandfather. Every time she would ask her Nan, she’d grow quiet and sad, with a longing and expectant look on her face, and then she would say:

‘One day, child, one day you will know everything. But not just yet.’

Unfortunately, Nan had apparently forgotten her promise, because Sam never got the story, nor the ring. Her dad had told her that he didn’t know anything about such promise, and Nan had been buried with it. That had been the saddest day for Sam; not only had she lost the person dearest to her, but also had her heart broken by a promise never fulfilled. She knew now there really was no life after death, and that no one would be looking after her from beyond.

The bus finally stopped in front of the church where she always got off. She loved walking past that old building; it reminded her of the church her Nan used to attend. The next stop was closer to her place, but she did not mind walking the rest of the journey. This area was generally quiet, with mostly houses left and right the streets, and a convenience store every few blocks. Not much happened here during the day, just people going about their business. The nights, however, were a different matter. Groups of young boys would hang about, and even though most of the time they were just a nuisance, somehow the streets felt less safe.

Sam had only been living here for a couple of weeks now. The place was cheap, and nobody bothered her. She didn’t fear the streets. She felt confident in the ability to defend herself, but that was not all. Dealing with her share of life, she was growing increasingly tired and reckless, and did not much care about what happened to her.

It was this that drove her to make the next decision that would change her life as she knew it.

Just outside the three-storey building where she now lived, two young boys in hoodies were bothering an old beggar just for the fun of it. They kept pushing the poor guy towards each other as if he were a dodge ball, laughing hysterically, while the old man tried in vain to run away. This was common enough in her area, and, were this any other day, Sam would have just walked by and done nothing, without giving it a second thought. Today, however, she was already pissed off and needed to let off some steam.

But that was not all; there was something more to it, something Sam would understand only later. For one split second, the strangely lively eyes of the old man met hers, and she felt something she could not explain. It was not a plea for help, no, more like a weird sensation of familiarity. It was almost like they knew each other from a time long ago.

Already pumped up, she walked towards the boys with confidence.

‘Hey! Let him go.’

The two boys looked back, and when they saw who it was, they ignored her. She knew them. They were about 15 and lived in that same building, just one storey above her.

‘Get lost, blondie.’

She of course ignored that and moved closer. With hands in her pockets, she spoke again, this time with a hint of a threat in her voice.

‘You really need to let him go.’

She was now standing just behind one of them, the taller one, within arm’s reach. He turned very suddenly and without warning hit her very hard with the back of his hand. The strength he put to his entire arm made Sam fall back on the pavement. The other guy, shorter and skinnier, pushed the old beggar down on the pavement as well, and in just two steps was next to his friend.

‘Bruh, what’s wrong with you?’ he yelled down at her, trying to sound older than he was. ‘I told you to get lost.’

Sam put her hand on her cheek, which was now burning hot from the blow, and looked at them with such fire in her clear blue eyes. A few people started gathering around them, while more were looking out of their windows and balconies.

She stood up and faced them, looking at them straight in the eye, barely controlling her anger now.

‘Listen, I suggest you take off now, if you don’t wanna make a name for yourselves for getting your asses kicked by a girl.’

The bullies broke into mocking laughter.

‘What?’

‘Oh, you think you can kick our asses, do you?’

Sam said nothing, nor did she move a muscle. In the back of her mind, she began to recall all the instructions from her lessons and tried to calm herself down so as to have a clear head. Fighting angry would lead to her making mistakes that could cost either side dearly. But it wasn’t that easy. The boys were now advancing towards her with a bullish attitude, and her anger was already getting the best of her.

She tightened her hands into fists as the tall one got one step closer. In her head, she quickly studied her position and the surroundings, already forming a strategy.

‘Go on, blondie. Kick my ass.’

Sam did not wait for him to finish. She launched a strong punch right at the guy’s stomach, so quickly that he was caught by surprise. As he hunched in pain, she took another hit up at his jaw, using her palm this time. She was careful to use just enough strength to bring him down, but not break his jaw and kill him. It was a classic move, and it worked every time.

As the tall kid fell down, hands covering his face, his little friend ran towards Sam with his right fist raised. She simply lifted her foot and aimed it hard at his groin. Shorty crouched in pain, and as he kneeled, Sam struck him upside down across the face with her elbow. She thought she heard a faint crack as their bones met and immediately felt guilty. The second guy fell down next to his buddy, with his hand also on his face, while everyone around them watched in silence, with the occasional applaud and cheer. Half in pain and half embarrassed, the boys just lay there without a sound.

Sam already regretted giving into her anger, but it was done now.

‘Damn you,’ she scoffed, rubbing her elbow.

She then turned around and fixed herself, starting with her curly blond hair. Without looking back at her victims, she walked towards the old beggar and knelt down next to him. The man looked bad enough to make you think he would stink like sewage, but for some reason Sam did not smell anything. He had a dirty face, old and covered in long dark greasy hair. His eyes, however, looked perfectly young and shiny, and there was such pride and warmth in their gaze. Looking directly into them, she could not shake the feeling that she had seen them before.

‘Are you alright? Did they hurt you?’ She helped him up.

‘No, they didn’t,’ the old man said, looking down at the two boys on the pavement. ‘But looks like you hurt them. Where did you learn how to do that?’

‘Yeah, well... You can learn a lot of things these days. Luckily some of them are actually useful.’

She looked towards the two guys who were now getting up and walking away stealing glances at her. Feeling bad, she tried to talk to them, ‘Hey...,’ but they disappeared behind the corner of the building. The spectators around them went back to their business, though some of them were still watching with smiles of approval on their faces. Nobody likes a bully.

Sam turned to the old man again.

‘Do you need anything? Is there anything I can do for you?’

‘Do for me? My dear girl, is there anything I can do for you? Looks like I owe you one.’

He didn’t even sound like a beggar, not that Sam had ever had any conversations with them. Usually, they were limited to a one-sided Can you spare some change please, God bless.

‘I’m good, thanks. And you don’t owe me anything, really.’

‘But of course, I do; one good deed deserves another. It’s the way of the world.’

Sam looked down, guilt finally catching up with her.

‘I’m not so sure this was such a good deed,’ she mumbled, then raised her volume. ‘Anyway, I don’t want anything, and what I do need, you cannot give me. So, thanks, but if you’re not hurt and are okay to go on, I will go home now.’

The man reached out and touched her hand.

‘Wait; don’t be in such a hurry, please. Give me your hand and two more minutes of your time, and I bet I can tell you exactly what you need.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘I’m a seer, child, a fortune-teller. Just one look at your right hand, and I can tell you exactly what you need to know. I have never been wrong in my entire life.’

Sam took one step back in doubt.

‘I’m sorry, but I don’t believe in that stuff.’

The old man stood where he was.

‘That’s ok, you don’t need to; I believe enough for both of us. I have been seeing things all my life, though I almost always keep them to myself. But I have a very good feeling about you. Please, would you let me read you? It’ll be worth your while, I promise.’

He extended one hand towards Sam and just waited for her. She thought about walking away and leaving him where he stood, but something stopped her. Something in his voice, in his eyes felt sincere, pure, amicable. She felt this was real, that he was real.

She could not believe what she was about to do.

‘This had better be good,’ she said, resting her right hand unto his, palm up.

The old man smiled, then shut his bright blue eyes and placed his other hand on hers, sliding his fingers slowly throughout her palm, searching every line, every crease on it. He did that for about half a minute, without speaking, then opened his eyes and said in a low, compassionate voice.

‘I see. I see you’ve been struggling with a serious problem for as long as you can remember, and it’s affecting everything you do. I see you’ve been looking for a solution for a long time but have given up. And now you feel lost, like you don’t know which way to go, like you have no purpose.’

Sam was actually surprised. She was expecting something more along the lines of There’s a dark shadow in your life, but some good news ahead, etc..., you know, the usual mumbo-jumbo. But this was more real, more personal than she thought it would be. This guy was good.

The old man continued.

‘There’s more. A broken promise seems to have broken your heart. It was someone close to you, someone you loved dearly, but they let you down. Oh, don’t worry, child, things are about to change for you.’

He now looked straight into her glistening eyes, without letting go of her hand.

‘Would you like me to tell you how?’

Sam was still baffled and didn’t know what to think or say. Was he actually talking about her Nan? Was this guy the real deal?

‘There is an answer for all of your questions, child, but it won’t just come to you. You have to actually go and find it. You will need to go on a journey, no, not a spiritual one, a real one; and your first stop will be London.’

‘What? London? As in England, London?’

Sam drew her hand back and changed in the face as if waking up.

‘What do I wanna go to London for? If you know the answer, why can’t you give it to me?’

‘It is not that kind of answer, I’m afraid, and neither it is mine to give to you. You must find out on your own.’

‘Well, that’s convenient. First there’s a problem I have, and then a broken promise and a broken heart. Now, a journey? Couldn’t you have come up with something a bit more original and specific maybe? I think I’ve heard enough. Thank you very much for the séance. I’m gonna go home now. Bye.’

She turned around frustrated and started to walk towards the entrance of the building, but the old man didn’t give up.

‘Something specific, huh? Well, how about this? In two weeks’ time, you need to be in the London Sleep Centre in England. There you will meet someone named Daniel. Stick with him and you will find the answers that you need. Happy Birthday, Sam!’

Sam stopped halfway to the doors and froze. That was specific alright.

‘How did you...?’

She turned around to face the beggar again, but he was no longer there. Where did he go? He was just here; he couldn’t have just disappeared. She looked around in all four directions, but the man was nowhere to be found.

Her frustration now reached a new high. Who was he and how did he know all that personal stuff about her? Was she really going to have to go to London? If so, what answers was she going to get?

Wait a minute, she thought to herself. He mentioned a Sleep Centre. Maybe he meant that they might have a cure for me there. Maybe this Daniel is a doctor, and he can